Opinion

David J Black tackles the issue of the day. One of the more annoying things about the British media in general, and the navel-gazing BBC in particular, is the irritating habit they all have of prioritising so-called news stories which are so trivial and ephemeral they barely deserve to make the insi

Irish lawyer Dr Barry Scannell examines a recent trademark case in which ChatGPT represented one of the parties. Good idea: Getting a well-trained lawyer to represent you in a trademark dispute. Bad idea: Having ChatGPT represent you in a trademark dispute.

A new “failure to prevent fraud” offence will impact organisations across the UK and internationally, requiring them to complete risk assessments and implement rigorous fraud prevention procedures and policies in place if they are to avail themselves of a statutory defence, writes Tom St

“This budget invests in public services, lifts children out of poverty, acts in the face of the climate emergency, and supports jobs and economic growth.” That’s according to the finance secretary, Shona Robison, in the Scottish government’s 2025/26 budget statement, wri

The Damages (Scotland) Bill, appended to the recently published Scottish Law Commission Report on Damages for Personal Injury, contains some important proposed reforms which are intended to modernise Scots law and resolve certain difficulties, writes Lady Paton. The report recommends the amendment o

The title of The Herald’s recent Beyond Breaking Point: Scotland’s Legal Aid Crisis series reflects the reality of legally-aided lawyering in Scotland, writes Dr Ben Christman. The concerns expressed in those articles over the bureaucracy of the legal aid system, the inadequate pay rates

Being a public figure is tough. In some ways, few public roles are harder than those of politicians and government officials. The constant judgement, insults and threats alone are enough to put almost anyone off public service, writes Benjamin Bestgen. There is no denying that being a politician or

David J Black traces the origins of a scandal in plain sight and calls for a judge-led inquiry in part three of his series on the continued plight of ME/CFS sufferers. See also parts one and two. It is doubtless commendable to provide an ill or disabled person with fulfilling work, though hopefully

The picture above will be a familiar sight to many of the amateur athletes among us. Runners at the start line, eager to race. Before that crucial first step, though, there is an exercise almost as important as the race itself: hitting "START" on your exercise watch of choice to record the effort.

The recent IPEC judgment of WaterRower is not only a fascinating discussion of what works of craftsmanship can be considered ‘artistic’ enough to gain copyright protection in the UK, it could spark a move away from the more expansive European test for copyright protection, write Andrew M

In part two of his series on dysfunction in our health system, David J Black reminds us that the cost of bad medicine is people's lives. Read part one here. It is one of those facts which cries out to be universally acknowledged: when it came to understanding the nature of such illnesses as ME/CFS,

Franz Kafka died 100 years ago this year. The protagonist of his novel The Trial is an everyman named Josef K, who finds himself facing unspecified issues within a legal process which is remote, incomprehensible and disorientating. It is a chilling story, permeated by a looming, faceless bureaucracy

Professor Russell Sandberg suggests legal sanctions for blasphemy continue to exist in Britain following a ruling against comedian Fern Brady. The criminal offence of blasphemy is dead in England and Wales. It was unceremoniously abolished by section 79(1) of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act

The UK may look to follow the lead of the US in introducing a whistleblowing reward scheme in a bid to combat corporate crime. US Deputy Attorney General, Lisa Monaco, recently announced a new Department of Justice-run corporate whistleblower rewards pilot programme, highlighting the critical role w

Ahmed Khogali gives an overview of Daly v HM Advocate. Criminal appeals to the UK Supreme Court are rare due to the High Court of Justiciary’s status as the final court of appeal in Scots criminal law. Under the Scotland Act 1998, such appeals are only permitted to the Supreme Court where devo